What To Look For When Buying A Safe
If you have decided that you need a safe to protect some of your personal belongings, documents, and media files, you need to know what type of safe to purchase. A locked metal box is not going to be enough. You should buy something that will protect things from a burglary, from fire, and from water damage. Depending on the objects you will be putting in it, you will need to know what type of safe will provide you the best protection. Here are a few tips on what to look for to keep everything protected.
Burglary
Ensuring that no one can get into the safe to steal things is the easy one. No matter what it is you put in there, a burglar-proof safe will be the same. You will want a box that is make of steel. In addition, it should be attached or put inside a wall so burglars cannot take the whole thing with them. Boxes, like tl 15 safes, should be rated to be resistant to being worked on with tools. Look for ones that are rated as TX for resistance to torches or explosives, or TL for resistance to tools.
Fire
Fire is often the main reason people put things in a safe. Do not be misled by the term fire-proof. While this means that the box itself will not catch fire for a specified amount of time, it does not mean that the items in it are protected from the heat. Look for a safe that has a fire resistance rating of 1. This means that the box will keep everything inside under 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature at which paper starts to burn. If you have compact disks, film, or other media to protect, you should make sure the box will keep things inside it under 135 degrees. You may want to purchase a small media safe for these items and store it inside a larger safe for protection against burglary.
Water
If there is a fire, there will probably be a lot of water forced at it to put it out. Make sure any safe you purchase has a water-tight seal on it. This will prevent water or foam from getting inside and damaging everything.
When you are looking at different safes to buy, make sure you consider how much is going into it. Then consider what you may add over the years. It is always better to buy a bigger safe than one that you feel will hold everything now. This way, you won't have to buy a second safe and everything will be protected.